Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has wasted no time anointing Erling Haaland as the best footballer in the Premier League, a verdict that will raise eyebrows at Stamford Bridge but comes as no surprise at the Etihad Stadium, where the Norwegian remains the division’s most feared marksman.
Palmer, a graduate of Manchester City‘s academy who scored in both the FA Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup during his final appearances for the club in 2023, was put on the spot during a light-hearted segment for Sky Sports, dubbed the “Cole Palmer Awards” by host Joe Thomlinson.
Handed a whiteboard and run through a series of categories, Palmer was asked to name the best player currently plying his trade in the Premier League.
He did not pause for thought. According to the article, Palmer can be seen “jotting down the Manchester City striker’s name almost before the question has finished,” settling on Haaland rather than any of the attacking talent dazzling in west London alongside him, including himself.
Pressed by Thomlinson on just how good Haaland is, Palmer’s response was short and emphatic: “Very good. Even in the World Cup for Norway, every time he scores – that’s why.”
It is a tribute rooted in first-hand experience. Palmer was part of the City squad that swept to a historic treble under Pep Guardiola, briefly sharing a dressing room with the striker before his move to Chelsea turned him into one of the Premier League’s most watchable performers in his own right.
That he still looks first to Haaland when asked to name the league’s standout player speaks to the lasting impression his former team-mate left.
A fitting nod to a relentless scorer
The acclaim has not come out of nowhere. Haaland has continued his habitual plundering of goals for Manchester City this season, having racked up 17 goals in all competitions and sitting once again at the top of the Premier League’s scoring charts.
Along the way, he has kept rewriting the club’s record books, recently becoming City’s all-time leading scorer in the Champions League and climbing to within one goal of Eric Brook as the club’s third-highest scorer in history – with only Sergio Agüero now standing above him on that particular list.
The Norwegian’s influence has stretched beyond club football too. His goals helped fire Norway to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 1998, where he went on to be one of the competition’s most prolific forwards.
Haaland’s continued excellence arrives at a pivotal moment for Manchester City, who are now navigating life after Pep Guardiola’s decade-long reign under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
For all the upheaval that comes with a managerial transition, Haaland’s output has remained a constant, and his latest endorsement arrives courtesy of a man who has gone on to establish himself as one of the league’s most gifted attacking players in his own right.
